DEADLINE-WEEK UPDATE — 7 October 2026. The Second Chance League begins scoring from zero in GW6 after the Saturday 10 October deadline.
Existing managers are automatically entered.
New managers joining now can effectively treat GW6 as their Gameweek 1.
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Published 4 October 2026. The FPL Second Chance League begins from Gameweek 6, with the deadline at 11:00 BST on Saturday 10 October.
Fantasy Premier League has introduced a new competition that is particularly useful for managers who started badly, missed the opening weeks or simply want a fresh target.
The Second Chance League starts every eligible manager from zero points in Gameweek 6.
That means your GW1–GW5 mistakes do not count toward this new leaderboard.
The short answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who can enter? | Existing and new FPL managers |
| Existing managers | Automatically entered |
| New managers | Added when they register a team |
| Scoring starts | GW6 |
| GW6 deadline | 11:00 BST, Saturday 10 October |
| Starting score | Zero |
| Main prize | Two Premier League match tickets + travel package |
| Normal FPL rank affected? | No — this is a separate league |
For managers who have had a difficult opening five Gameweeks, this is effectively a second mini-season.
Why the Second Chance League matters
Normally, a manager who misses several deadlines or starts badly can feel like the season is already over.
The Second Chance League changes that.
You can now treat Gameweek 6 as a clean competitive starting point.
That gives several types of manager a reason to re-engage:
- managers with a poor overall rank;
- managers who joined FPL late;
- managers who missed early deadlines;
- casual players who want a shorter competition;
- managers who want another target alongside overall rank and mini-leagues.
Latest FPL news
Do you need to join manually?
No.
If you already have an FPL team for 2026/27, you are automatically entered.
If you are starting FPL now, create your team and you will be added.
That makes this very different from a normal private mini-league where you need a code or invite.
Does everyone really start from zero?
Yes for the Second Chance League.
Your normal FPL team still retains all the points you scored in GW1–GW5.
But the new league only counts points from GW6 onward.
So a manager ranked millions of places behind another manager overall can start level with them in this new competition.
What is the prize?
The official winner receives:
- two tickets to a Premier League match of their choice;
- a travel package.
That gives the competition a meaningful reason to take seriously rather than treating it as a cosmetic side leaderboard.
Best strategy for a fresh GW6 start
If you are treating the Second Chance League as your main target, think of GW6 as the beginning of a new season.
That does not mean chasing only one-week punts.
You still need a squad that can survive several Gameweeks.
Prioritise reliable minutes
The international break has produced injuries to several heavily owned FPL players.
Avoid building a new team around unresolved doubts simply because their ownership is high.
Use the International Break Tracker and Team News.
Use the Wildcard-style mindset
New managers effectively get to choose their entire squad from scratch.
Existing managers using a GW6 Wildcard can do the same.
That means the Best GW6 Wildcard Team is highly relevant even if your main goal is the Second Chance League.
Do not overpay for last week's points
Pascal Groß, Maxim De Cuyper and Kostoulas have attracted huge GW6 transfer numbers.
Their starts have been excellent.
But Brighton now face a congested run across the Premier League, Conference League and EFL Cup.
Read Brighton FPL before automatically triple-up buying.
Keep a playable bench
The international break plus European football increases surprise-absence and rotation risk.
A Second Chance League squad should not rely on 11 players and four non-starters.
Premium structure
The biggest budget question is whether to build around Haaland plus another premium attacker.
Haaland leads the premium group for both points and underlying goal threat.
Saka and Palmer have excellent underlying numbers too, while Isak now carries an injury flag.
Read Best Premium FPL Players.
Best tools to use before GW6
Player Lab
Use Player Lab to compare:
- xG;
- xA;
- minutes;
- value;
- ownership;
- form.
Fixtures
Use Fixtures rather than choosing a player because of one good match.
Transfer Planner
Use the Transfer Planner to see whether the team works beyond GW6.
Price Changes
Check FPL Price Changes because several popular GW6 targets are moving in price during the long break.
Can you still care about normal overall rank?
Absolutely.
The Second Chance League is an additional competition.
You do not have to choose between:
- overall rank;
- private mini-leagues;
- Second Chance League.
The same FPL points count in all of them.
The difference is only the starting point of the Second Chance leaderboard.
Should you take extra risks because everyone starts level?
Not necessarily.
There can be value in differentials, but starting at zero does not mean you need a team full of low-owned players.
The best approach is still:
secure minutes + strong roles + good fixtures + enough upside.
OneFPL verdict
The Second Chance League is one of the most useful additions to FPL this season because it gives managers a genuine competitive reset.
If your opening five Gameweeks went badly, GW6 is not just another deadline.
It is a new starting line.
Build as if you were creating a fresh season squad:
- lock reliable minutes;
- avoid unresolved injuries;
- use fixtures;
- compare premium structure;
- keep a real bench;
- do not chase every price rise.
FAQ
What is the FPL Second Chance League?
It is a new global Fantasy Premier League league that starts everyone from zero points from Gameweek 6 onward, giving both existing and new managers a fresh competition.
Do existing FPL managers need to join manually?
No. Existing 2026/27 FPL managers are automatically entered. New managers are added after they register a team.
When does Second Chance League scoring start?
Scoring starts after the Gameweek 6 deadline at 11:00 BST on Saturday 10 October 2026.
What does the winner get?
The official prize is two tickets to a Premier League match of the winner's choice plus a travel package.
Does my poor start to the normal FPL season matter?
No for the Second Chance League standings. Everyone starts the new league from zero in Gameweek 6, while your normal overall FPL rank continues separately.
